마이 서울 My Seoul: Hidden Gems

<KR>
책 소개

외국인에게 서울을 소개할 단 한권의 도서. [마이 서울]은 서울의 역사적인 장소와 아름다운 곳, 추천할 만한 맛있는 음식점, 여행할 때 도움 될 팁은 물론 한국의 라이프 스타일과 풍습을 다루고 있다. 매력적인 서울 사진이 외국인의 시선을 더욱 사로잡는다.

서울에 도착한 외국인 관광객이 책이나 인터넷에서 쉽게 해결하지 못한 궁금증은 무엇일까?

서울은 안전할까? 영어로 대화가 가능한 미용실은 어디에 있을까? 한국 사람들은 헤어질 때 ‘나중에 소주나 한잔하자’는데 도대체 언제 술을 마시자는 것일까? 식당에 들어가는데 왜 신발을 벗어야 하나?

2016년 한국을 찾은 외국인 관광객 수는 1,700만 명을 돌파했고 곧 2천만 외국인 관광객 시대를 열 것으로 기대하고 있다. 한국을 찾은 외국인 관광객 대부분은 위와 같은 질문을 쏟아내지만 답을 얻을 기회는 많지 않다.

이제 외국인의 이런 질문을 시원하게 해결해줄 책이 출간되었다. 바로 그랜드 하얏트 서울 호텔 상무이자 하얏트 호텔 극동아시아 지역 재무담당 이사를 맡고 있는 백승우 씨가 최근 펴낸 책 [My Seoul : Hidden Gems(마이 서울 - 숨겨진 보석)]이 그 주인공. 이 책은 한국 관광과 문화에 대해 궁금해 하는 외국인을 위한 영문 사진 에세이로 지난 2년간 페이스 북에 연재했던 글과 사진으로 꾸며졌다.

호텔리어로 30여년을 근무 한 그는 “호텔 방문객들이 서울에서 생활하면서 궁금해 하는 사항이 많은데 속 시원히 답해 주는 책이 없고, 서울을 있는 그대로 보여주는 글과 사진이 없어 [My Seoul]을 만들었다.”고 출간 소감을 밝혔다.

[My Seoul]에는 한국인의 젓가락 문화, 한국인 집 방문 시 신발 벗기, 두 손으로 술 따르기, 때밀이 문화, 노래방 이용하기, 한국 화폐 소개, 식당에서 왜 가위를 사용하는지, 서울 사람들은 왜 버스와 지하철을 애용하는지, 독특한 한국의 나이 계산법, 빨리 빨리 문화 등 외국인이 지금까지 접해보지 못한 한국만의 독특하고 재미있는 문화와 생활 태도가 담겨 있다.

이밖에도 서울에 머물면서 주말에 즐겨 찾을 만한 곳, 연남동의 추천 장소, 왕릉, 걷기 좋은 길, 서울 5개 궁궐 이외에 가볼만한 한옥 건축물, 서울에서 가볼 만한 서점, 벚꽃 구경하기 좋은 곳, 서울 시내에서 산악자전거를 타기 좋은 곳, 서울에서 비빔밥을 잘하는 식당, 단팥죽이 먹고 싶을 때 가면 좋은 식당 등 가볼 만한 명소와 맛집 등이 소개되어 있다.

또한 요즘 세계적으로 뜨고 있는 한국 매운 라면의 매력, 밤도깨비 문화, 야경이 아름다운 궁 관람, 서울에서 인천 공항 쉽게 가기 등 사소하지만 주변에서 쉽게 얻지 못할 다양한 여행 및 생활 팁이 가득 차 있다.

[My Seoul]은 2015년 출간한 [My Korea]에 이어 두 번째 영문 사진 에세이다.

[ENG]

Book Introduction

One book to introduce foreigners to Seoul. [My Seoul covers historical and beautiful places in Seoul, delicious restaurants, tips for travelling, as well as Korean lifestyle and customs. Attractive photographs of Seoul make it even more appealing to foreigners.

What questions do foreign visitors to Seoul have that are not easily answered in books or online?

Is Seoul safe? Where can I find a hairdresser who speaks English? When Koreans break up, they say, "Let's have a drink of soju later," but when is that? Why do I have to take off my shoes to enter a restaurant?

In 2016, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea exceeded 17 million, and the country is expected to reach 20 million soon. Most foreign visitors to Korea have questions like the above, but there are not many opportunities to get answers.

Now, a book has been published to help foreigners answer these questions. Seung-woo Baek, managing director of the Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel and regional finance director of Hyatt Hotels Far East Asia, recently published My Seoul: Hidden Gems, a photo essay in English for foreigners curious about Korean tourism and culture, featuring articles and photos that he has been posting on Facebook for the past two years.

"There are many questions that hotel visitors have about living in Seoul, but there is no book that answers them, and there are no texts and photos that show Seoul as it is, so I created [My Seoul]," said Lee, who has worked as a hotelier for 30 years.

["My Seoul" contains many unique and interesting aspects of Korean culture and lifestyle that foreigners may not have encountered before, such as Korean chopstick culture, taking off your shoes when visiting a Korean home, pouring alcohol with two hands, karaoke, an introduction to Korean currency, why scissors are used in restaurants, why Seoulites love buses and subways, the unique Korean age calculation system, and the culture of hurry up and go.

In addition, the book includes recommendations on where to go on weekends while staying in Seoul, recommended places in Yeonnam-dong, royal tombs, walking routes, hanok architecture outside of the five palaces, bookstores in Seoul, best places to see cherry blossoms, best places to go mountain biking in Seoul, best restaurants for bibimbap in Seoul, and best places to go when you're craving sweet red bean porridge.

The book is also filled with a variety of travel and lifestyle tips that you won't find elsewhere, such as the appeal of spicy Korean ramen, the night goblin culture, viewing palaces at night, and getting to Incheon Airport from Seoul.

[My Seoul is the author's second book of photo essays in English, following My Korea, published in 2015.

<FR>
Introduction au livre

Un livre pour initier les étrangers à Séoul. [Mon Séoul couvre des endroits historiques et magnifiques de Séoul, de délicieux restaurants, des conseils pour voyager, ainsi que le style de vie et les coutumes coréennes. Des photographies attrayantes de Séoul le rendent encore plus attrayant pour les étrangers.

Quelles questions les visiteurs étrangers à Séoul ont-ils auxquelles il n'est pas facile de répondre dans les livres ou en ligne?

Séoul est en sécurité ? Où puis-je trouver un coiffeur qui parle anglais ? Quand les Coréens se séparent, ils disent, "Buvons un verre de soju plus tard", mais c'est quand ? Pourquoi dois-je enlever mes chaussures pour entrer dans un restaurant ?

En 2016, le nombre de touristes étrangers visitant la Corée a dépassé 17 millions, et le pays devrait bientôt atteindre 20 millions. La plupart des visiteurs étrangers en Corée ont des questions comme celles qui précèdent, mais il n'y a pas beaucoup de possibilités d'obtenir des réponses.

Un livre a été publié pour aider les étrangers à répondre à ces questions. Seung-woo Baek, directeur général de l'hôtel Grand Hyatt Séoul et directeur financier régional de Hyatt Hotels Far East Asia, a récemment publié My Séoul: Hidden Gems, un essai photo en anglais pour les étrangers curieux du tourisme et de la culture coréens.

« Les visiteurs de l'hôtel se posent de nombreuses questions sur la vie à Séoul, mais aucun livre n'y répond, et il n'y a pas de textes et de photos qui montrent Séoul telle quelle, alors j'ai créé [Mon Séoul] », a déclaré Lee, qui travaille comme hôte depuis 30 ans.

["Mon Séoul" contient de nombreux aspects uniques et intéressants de la culture et du style de vie coréens que les étrangers n'ont peut-être jamais rencontrés, comme la culture coréenne de baguettes, enlever vos chaussures quand vous visitez un foyer coréen, verser de l'alcool à deux mains, karaoké, introduction à la monnaie coréenne, pourquoi les ciseaux sont utilisés dans les restaurants, pourquoi les Séouliens aiment les bus et les métros, le système unique de calcul de l'âge coréen, et la culture de se dépêcher d'y aller.

De plus, le livre contient des recommandations sur l'endroit où aller le week-end à Séoul, les endroits recommandés à Yeonnam-dong, les tombes royales, les itinéraires de marche, l'architecture hokan à l'extérieur des cinq palais, les librairies à Séoul, les meilleurs endroits pour voir des cerisiers en fleurs, les meilleurs endroits pour faire du vélo de montagne à Séoul. Les meilleurs restaurants pour bibimbap à Séoul, et les meilleurs endroits où aller quand on a envie de porridge aux haricots rouges.

Le livre est également rempli d'une variété de conseils de voyage et de style de vie que vous ne trouverez nulle part ailleurs, tels que l'attrait des ramen épicés coréens, la culture des gobelins de nuit, l'observation des palais la nuit, et l'arrivée de Séoul à l'aéroport d'Incheon.

[My Séoul est le deuxième livre de photos d'essais en anglais de l'auteur, suivant My Korea, publié en 2015.


Table of Contents

Spot

The Best Streets in Seoul for Holiday Walks 13

Visit the Vibrant Historical Town of Yeonnam-dong 14

Let’s visit Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty During Weekend 21

Let’s Visit Buam-dong This Weekend! 26

Let’s Visit Unhyeongung Royal Residence and Ikseon-dong 30

Have You Been to Book Store in Seoul? 37

Let’s visit Jeongdong! 37

Have You Been to Haebangchon near Mt. Namsan? 38

Have You Seen the Yeouido Cherry Blossoms in Korea? 38

Do You Want to Visit Interesting Places in Seoul on the Weekend? 41

Did You Recently Visit the Seoul Wall? 41

Short and Tough Hiking in Seoul, Inwangsan Mountain 44

Food

Oh! Best Bibimbap in Seoul! Yeokjeon Hoegwan 54

Best Meat Restaurants near Namsan Mountain 54

60-Year Old Daesungjib Restaurant 56

Over 50-Year Old Korean Restaurant 56

Have You Heard About Yasik? 57

How to Drink Like a Korean 61

Do You Know Why Overseas Travelers Buy Korean Gim? 66

Korean-Chinese Cuisine: Jajangmyeon 66

Let’s Go to a Galbi Restaurant 67

Have You Heard of the Name of the Coffee Shop, Coffee Hanyakbang? 67

The Best Danpatjuk Restaurant in Seoul 69

Konkuk University Yang-kochi (Lamb Skewer) Alley 70

Have You Tried Eating Korean Super Spicy Ramen? 71

Have You Heard of the Name of the Coffee Shop, Coffee Hanyakbang? 74

Lifestyle

Things to Avoid in Korea 88

Unique Cultural Items in Korea 88

Take Off Your Shoes 89

Asian Dinner and Drinking Manners 89

Korean Scrubbing Services : Ttaemiri 94

Korean Noraebang 94

Do You Have Korean Money? 96

Do You Know Scissors are commonly used in Korean restaurants? 103

Have You Ever Experienced a Temple Stay? 103

Why Locals love Buses in Seoul 106

The Greatest Korean Traditional Painting Masters 109

How Koreans Count Their Age 109

Hurry-Hurry Culture in Korea 112

Do You Know BTS? 117

Unusual Habits of Koreans 117

Why do Locals drive Korean Cars for Business Purpose? 118

Korea Is Cleaner Than Some 121

Do You Know Why Koreans Use Toilet Paper on the Dining Table? 121

Korean Romantic Days 126

Travel Tip

Three Best Things to Do in Seoul During the Chuseok Holiday 132

Seoul Subway System 132

Have You Heard About Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market? 135

Top 5 Places to View Seoul’s Beautiful Nightscape 138

Do You Want to Visit Contemporary Art Galleries in Seoul? 140

Have You Seen Korean Gardens? 142

Do You Need an English Speaking Beauty Parlor Downtown? 146

Saturday’s Serious Traffic Jam in Seoul 150

Refresh and Relax While on the Road in Korea 155

Transportation from Incheon Airport to Seoul 156

Korean customs

Traffic Law 162

Korean Greeting 167

Lunar New Year Gift 168

Korean New Year Greeting 168

Korean Winter 172

Gimjang 176

Supermarkets in Korea 181

Coffee Culture 181

Safe Country Korea 190

Etiquette in the Korean House 190

No Tipping Country 193

Soju 193

Chuseok Gifts 194

Gangbuk Style 201

Business Lunch 208

Hyung Ryong Lee (Professor of Sejong University)

A superb guidebook illustrating Korean culture and lifestyle in the most concise and straightforward way.

Robert J. Fouser (former professor)

[My Seoul] combines deep insight into Korean culture with practical tips for foreigners visiting or living in Seoul. Seungwoo Baek’s photographs bring the text to life with beauty and passion. [My Seoul] is essential reading for those who want to deepen their understanding of this fascinating city, and I congratulate Mr. Baek on his achievement. (former professor of Korean Language Education at Seoul National University)

Kim Young-sun (former secretary)

If you really want to experience your ‘eat, pray, love’ in Korea, this picture and essay book will be a perfect guide for you. Mr Baek’s fine touch will lead(bring) you to a world of excitement, imagination and inspiration, where you find(share) his sutle taste and deep passion about Korean culture, nature and lifestyle!

You will be definately tempted to go out and follow his footsteps. (former secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre and Ambassador of Korea to Indonesia)

Jean Ough (the Representative)

Definitely the best book I have ever encountered in introducing the Korean culture, history, modern life styles, and hidden gems of places to visit. A must-read book for all those who want to know about Korea on a local level. The well-orchestrated collection of beautiful photos will definitely be valued as a collector’s item. (the Representative of the Western Australian Trade and Investment Office in Korea)

Hyangseon Lee (Journalist, etnews.com)

The multi-talented author and photographer shares his insights through his own unique and vivid experiences in Seoul. Through these images and the accompanying narratives by the author, Seoul will become your friend; a beautiful and familiar city, rather than an unknown and impenetrable metropolis. Enjoy vibrant Seoul!